The right support - Abdul’s story

After months of job searching with little success, Abdul was determined to turn things around. He was referred to the Restart Scheme by his work coach at Jobcentre Plus for specialised support in finding employment.

During his first appointment, Abdul met with Employment Adviser, Kate, and discussed his job goals of working in production and the warehouse sector. Abdul had recently gained a forklift truck licence, in preparation for applying to roles in this sector, however he found that he wasn’t hearing back from employers.

Kate identified the common pattern with his applications, and so they immediately got to work on improving his CV, working together to bring this to a high standard and demonstrating how to tailor a CV to each role or sector.

The Restart Scheme offers many in-house courses that enable participants to improve on existing skills as well as learning new skills too. Participants can benefit from CV workshops, interview techniques, and sector taster days, all of which can be delivered in group sessions or one-to-one.

Kate said: “I introduced Abdul to our Recruitment Manager, who was equally impressed by Abdul’s enthusiasm and credentials. Without delay, Abdul’s profile was shared with a potential employer in the warehousing sector, and I think that connection was the turning point.

“I supported Abdul with his application, and he was invited for a trial shift, where he demonstrated not only his technical skills but his dedication and work ethic. Abdul’s performance spoke volumes, and by the end of the trial, he was offered a permanent position with the company.”

Abdul expressed concerns about financial difficulties due to a longer-than-expected period of unemployment. Kate made a referral for Abdul with an external debt advice team, whilst supporting him with travel costs while he was on the Restart Scheme, and a travel card when he started work.

Like Abdul, many participants on the Restart Scheme benefit from funding that eases them into work. The Restart Scheme ensures that participants are not financially impacted by transitioning from benefits into paid employment.

“Thank you to Kate and the team for their support in getting me into work. Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know. I previously registered with my new employer online, I explained I have an FLT licence, I called, sent emails, and never got any response. However, with my updated CV and support from Kate and the Recruitment Manager calling them, I was offered the job!”